Spartan rally not enough against Halifax Academy

Kerr-Vance's Bryles Cutts controls the ball as she drives past Halifax Academy's Kate Starnes in their game Monday night.

Kerr-Vance rallied from two down Monday before falling by a goal to league rival Halifax Academy.

Jordan Jean netted the winner for the Vikings with about six minutes to play as the away side claimed a 3-2 win on a cold night at KVA with temperatures in the low 40s, accompanying a rain-soaked pitch.

The Spartans created a couple of chances in the final two minutes, including a last-second shot from Shannon Ayscue that just missed contact with the crossbar.

But KVA couldn’t find the equalizer and the Spartans’ 2-A Eastern Plains Independent Conference record dropped to 1-2-1.

“Lot of good shots on goal,” said KVA coach Amy Johnson. “Just a lot of good things to work with.”

The Spartans trailed 2-0 at halftime before goals from Ayscue and Bryles Cutts knotted the game.

“A couple of games ago we said, ‘Girls, you can have a really good team and you can really compete in this conference,’” said Johnson. “And I think they feel like they can finally.”

Ayscue cut the Halifax lead in half in the 48th minute on a strike that looked similar to the miss at the end of the game. Only this one, assisted by Cutts, was buried in the back of the net from straight on and about 25 yards out.

“It was beautiful,” said Johnson. “She had a lot of good shots tonight. I think she’s going to get a lot of those to go in if she keeps on trying.”

Cutts leveled the score about six minutes later, settling with her left foot inside the 18-yard box and firing with her right to beat the Viking goalkeeper to her left. Isabelle Goodwin was credited with the assist.

KVA came close again in the 63rd on a sequence originating from seventh-grade striker Nicole Dunkley’s run down the right sideline past the Halifax defense. Dunkley knocked it over for Cutts, whose shot clanked off the crossbar. Goodwin’s rebound attempt at the near right post was kept out by the Viking keeper.